Coil-tightening apparatus



Dec. 24, 1968 H. w. SMHAKELY 3,417,688

. COIL-T IGHTENING APPARATUS Filed July 13, 1966 2 Sheets$heet 1 L L /4 INVENTOR HOWARD H. SHAKELY, DECEASED BY CAROLINE E. SHAKELY, EXECUTRIX Jazz, W M??? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 13. 1966 f INVENTORQ HOWARD .,H. SHAKELY, DECEASED BY CAROLINE E SHAKELY, EXECUTRIX WW W ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,417,688 COIL-TIGHTENING APPARATUS Howard W. Shakely, deceased, late of Coraopolis, P2,, by Caroline E. Shakely, executrix, Coraopolis, Pa, assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Stanley Works, New Britain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut.

Filed July 13, 1966, Ser. No. 565,020 Ciaims. (Cl. 100-8) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A coil tightener having a power operated pressure arm supported on a frame and engageable with a coil for applying a radial force thereto, and drive means for effecting relative rotation between the arm and the coil to apply said radial force circumferentially about the coil in a coil winding direction.

This invention relates to coil handling equipment and particularly concerns machines for securing loosely wound coils of sheet metal and similar coil stock.

A principal object of the invention is to provide an improved machine which is particularly suited for quickly tightening the outer wraps of a loosely coiled article such as a sheet metal coil and thereafter binding the same into a compactly wound unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus which may be incorporated in either new or existing coil handling installations for securely tightening a coil of stock into a more compact unit before applying tensioned strap to the coil in a strapping operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus of the above described type which is particularly useful, e.g., in old rolling mills having extensively worn coil forming equipment resulting in loose coils of stocks.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus of the above described type which is specifically designed to tighten a loose coil of stock while maintaining its outer wraps in proper alignment with the longitudinal ends of the coil.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus which is durable and reliable in operation for extensive use under rugged operating conditions.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, showing a machine incorporating the present invention installed for securing a conveyor-supported coil of sheet metal;

FIG. 2 is a section view, partly broken away, taken generally along line 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section view, partly broken away, taken generally along line 33 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, a machine 11) of the general type disclosed in United States Patent No. 3,216,346 of I. G. Cruckshank et all, issued Nov. 9, 1965, and entitled Strapping Machine is shown for strapping an article such as an extremely hot sheet metal coil 12 issuing from a hot rolling process on a power driven conveyor 14.

The machine 11 includes a rigid stationary frame 16 having two pairs of support posts as at 18 positioned on opposite sides of the conveyor 14. The support posts 18 are preferably of the H-beam type. Overlying the conveyor 14 and fixed to the support posts 18 is a platform 20, and immediately below the platform 20 is a strapping unit 22 shown suitably mounted for movement longitudinally of the support posts 18. As described in the referenced patent, the strapping unit 22 is vertically moved by a conventional chain drive mechanism 24 axially of the coil 12 between a retracted position shown in FIG. 1 and an extended strap-apply position wherein the strapping unit 22 is lowered about the coil 12.

When the strapping unit 22 is in its illustrated retracted position, a reversible motor 26 mounted on the strapping unit 22 is operated for feeding a conventional metal binding strap, not shown. The strap is fed through a tensioning and sealing head 28 and around a chute 30, which extends generally horizontally and is supported on a frame 32 of the strapping unit 22, to form a loop with lapping portions adapted to be sealed. When the coil 12 is properly positioned below the strapping unit 22, a reversible operating motor 34 of the chain drive mechanism 24 is then energized to lower the strapping unit 22 to its strapapply position, and a carrier arm 36 pivotally mounted on the frame 32 supports the sealing and tensioning head 28 for movement inwardly toward the coil 12. The motor 26 is operated in reverse to withdraw the strap for tensioning the loop about the coil 12 intermediate its longitudinal ends, and the binding of the coil is completed by the operations of the sealing and tensioning head 28 to seal the loop and shear it from the unused strap as described in the referenced patent. Thereafter an air cylinder 38 may be operated to withdraw the carrier arm 36 and the sealing and tensioning head 28, and the strapping unit 22 may be raised to its retracted position by the operating motor 34.

The coil 12 is preferably delivered to the machine 10 in a relatively tight condition so as to facilitate the strapping operation. However, coils often arrive at the machine 10 in a loosened condition and the free end 39 of the coil 12 may even sag to a certain extent as a result of pit gauging, for example, wherein the outer wraps of a coil are intentionally loosened and manually checked for accuracy before delivery to the machine 10. Loosened coils are also often encountered in oil rolling mills as a result of extensively worn coil forming units.

To ensure that the coil 12 will issue from the strapping operation as a tightly bound unit, a coil pretightening or recoilin-g unit 40 is incorporated in the machine 10 in accordance with this invention. The recoiling unit 40 is shown in the illustrated embodiment as being mounted to, but below, the strapping unit 22 and is provided with an annular base 42 having four spaced apart, upright support posts 44 fixed, as by welding, to the strapping unit frame 32. A ring 46 is illustrated as being secured to the bottom of the annular base 42. The ring 46 extends around the outer periphery of the base 42 and provides a fixed ring for an annular ball bearing assembly 48 which supports a rotary element or gear ring 51). It will be understood that the above described arrangement for rotatably supporting the rotary element 50 is shown only for illustrative purposes and that other suitable arrangements could be provided.

In the specific illustrated embodiment, the gear ring 50 is of L-shaped cross section having an upright wall 52 and an integral leg 54 extending outwardly toward the More specifically, a plurality of peripheral teeth 60 are shown projecting outwardly from the outside surface of the wall 52 of the gear ring 50 for meshing engagement with a drive gear 62 suitably mounted for rotation in the clearance between the annular base 42 and the underlying leg 54 of the gear ring 50.

The drive gear 62 is preferably driven by a conventional electric motor 64 through a speed reducer 66 both of which are mounted on the annular base 42. It will be understood that a right angle drive of well known design is connected between an output shaft 68 of the motor 64 and the drive gear 62. A clutch and brake mechanism 70, constructed in accordance with conventional techniques, is shown in the connection between the motor 64 and the speed reducer 66 for controlling the rotation of the drive gear 62.

The above-noted drive mechanism thus is adapted to rotate the gear ring '50 in a coiling direction with respect to the coil 12, and suitable switching means, not shown, are provided for controlling the operation of the motor 64 which is energized after the strapping unit. 22 is lowered to its strap-apply position but before the motor 26 is energized for withdrawing the strap for tensioning the loop about the coil 12.

To condition the coil 12 for a strap applying operation, the preferred embodiment of the invention incorporates a pressure arm 72 for tightly winding the coil 12 into a more compact unit prior to applying the strap. One end of the pressure arm 72 is fixed by a pivot pin 74 secured to a mounting bracket 76 attached to the inside surface of the wall 52 of gear ring 50 such that the opposite swinging or trailing end of the pressure arm 72 may be swung inwardly thereof laterally of the longitudinal axis of the coil =12 in a plane generally parallel to the annular base 42. The swinging end of the pressure arm 72 is provided with a roller 78 suitably mounted thereon for rotation. The roller 78 is shown as being of generally cylindrical shape for smooth rolling contact over an outer wrap 79 of the coil 12 upon rotating the gear ring 50 and moving the arm 72 inwardly into an operative position wherein the roller 78 engages the outer wrap 79 of the coil 12 intermediate its longitudinal ends, preferably below the vertical midpoint of the coil 12. The pressure arm 72 is illustrated as being of arcuate configuration generally corresponding to the radius of curvature of the wall 52 of the gear ring 50 whereby the arm 72 may be pivoted outwardly against the wall 52 into an inoperative position shown in FIG. 2. It will be seen that the recoiling unit 40 may be readily raised and lowered about coils of varying outside diameter when the arm 72 is in its illustrated inoperative position.

To move the pressure arm 72 between its inoperative and operative positions, a conventional double acting power cylinder 86 is provided for operating the arm 72. The cylinder 80 is pivotally mounted by a pin 82 connected to a support plate 83 secured to the bottom of the leg 54 of the gear ring 50. The cylinder 80 has a piston rod 84 connected by a pivot pin 86 to the pressure arm 72 intermediate its ends for moving it toward and away from the coil 12.

To actuate the piston rod 84, a fluid circuit is provided having a pair of fluid supply and exhaust lines 88, 90 in communication with opposite ends of the power cylinder 80. The fluid lines 88, 90 are connected to a source of pressurized fluid, not shown, through a quick-disconnect valve arrangement schematically shown at 92 for alternatively charging and bleeding the fluid lines 38, 90 to selectively extend and retract piston rod 84 and the pressure arm 72. The fluid lines 88, 90 are preferably connected to a conventional accumulator 94 serving to maintain a desired radial pressure against the coil 12 such that the pressure arm 72 will float upon the outer wrap 79 as it is being rotated about the coil 12.

With the pressure arm 72 engaging the outer wrap 79 of the coil 12, the gear ring 50 is rotated in a coil winding direction by its drive mechanism, preferably in the order of 14 r.p.m., whereby the roller 78 creates a radial pres sure of high magnitude, typically in the range of 1200 to 1500 psi. for large coils. Since the roller 73 is in effect being pulled around the coil 12 and is continuously maintained in pressing engagement with its outer wrap 79 by virtue of the above described structure, a high degree of control is provided during the tightening operation.

It has been found that one revolution of the pressure arm 72 around the coil 12 is normally sufficient to tighten one loose wrap. Thus, if there are three loose wraps, e.g., three revolutions of the pressure arm 72 would tighten the coil 12 into a more compact unit properly conditioned for the subsequent strapping operation. Conventional limit switches, not shown, control the orbital movement of the pressure arm 72 through the power drive of the gear ring 50, and cycles of l, 2 or 3 revolutions, e.g., may be sensed by a cam limit switch 96 operatively connected to the drive train of the motor 64 through a speed reducer 98. In addition, a proximity switch, not shown, is preferably provided to positively stop the gear ring 50 in a home position whereby the above-noted quick-disconnect valve arrangement 92 is properly positioned to be connected once again to the source of fluid pressure.

Upon completion of the tightening operation, the strapping unit 22 is immediately actuated with the pressure arm 72 retained in position against the coil 12 while strap is applied thereto, tensioned, sealed and sheared by operation of the sealing and tensioning head 28. Thereafter the air cylinder 38 is operated to withdraw the carrier arm 36, and the power cylinder is operated to retract the pressure arm 72 into its inoperative position. The strapping unit 22 and the recoiling unit 40 are then raised into the position shown in FIG. 1 by the motor 34 in readiness for a repeat operation.

Although the operation of the recoiling unit 40 has been described in conjunction with the strapping operation, if the machine 10 is installed at a Weighing station and it is desired to merely weigh the coil, or to weigh and bind the coil, e.g., it is contemplated that such operating cycles may be selected Without causing the recoiling unit 40 to be operated. When the recoiling unit 40 is operated to pre-tighten a particular coil, the pressure arm 72 may also be withdrawn before the coil is completely bound in the event it were desired to effect a manual strapping operation or to apply more than one strap to the coil 12.

Only one pressure arm 72 is illustrated in the preferred embodiment of the invention, but obviously a plurality of such arms could be spaced apart to provide evenly distributed tightening forces on the coil which would be desirable, e.g., in an installation wherein it is intended to tighten relatively light coils.

In addition, if it is desired to restrain any tendency of the loosened wraps of the coil 12 to climb or creep upwardly during the tightening operation, a positive trictional force may be exerted on the outer wrap 79 of the coil by the cylindrical roller 78. For this reason, the longitudinal axis of the roller 78 is shown in FIG. 3 tilted at a small preselected angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the coil 12 to provide a slight rubbing or wiping action on the coil, as distinguished from a pure rolling action.

Thus, loose coils of various size may be effectively secured in a very tightly wound unit in accordance with the present invention. In addition to being of notable simplicity, the disclosed recoiling unit is durable in operation and is particularly suited to be incorporated in either new or existing strapping installations to provide a reliable tightening operation requiring only a matter of seconds:

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications and adaptations of the structure abovedescribed will become readily apparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for securing a loose coil of sheet material in a generally upright position and comprising a frame, pressure means supported on the frame, operating means connected to the pressure means and operable for 'moving the pressure means into direct engagement with the coil intermediate its longitudinal ends for applying radial pressure thereto, and a drive mechanism. for effecting relative rotation between the coil and the pressure means such that the pressure means is relatively movable with respect to the coil in a coil winding direction for tightening the same into a more compact coil.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pressure means is engageable with the coil below its midpoint be tween the longitudinal ends thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pressure means is mounted for orbital movement about the coil and includes an arm mounted on the frame for movement toward and away from the coil, and wherein the operating means includes a power actuated positioning device connected to the arm for moving it into pressing engagement against the coil for securely tightening it into a more compact unit upon relative rotation between the coil and the arm.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pressure means is mounted for orbital movement about the coil and includes an arm pivotally secured at one end to the frame for pivotal movement toward and away from the coil upon operation of the operating means, the arm having a swinging end opposite its said one end, and a roller mounted on the swinging end of the arm for exerting radial pressure on the coil upon being moved into direct engagement therewith.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the roller is of generally cylindrical shape having a longitudinal axis tilted relative to that of the coil for rubbing its outer wrap and providing a positive frictional force in opposition to any tendency of the outer wraps of the coil to become axially displaced during tightening thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the operating means includes fluid operator means connected to the arm for pivoting the roller thereof into engagement with the coil in floating contact therewith for maintaining a desired radial pressure on the coil.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 including a rotary element mounted on the frame, the pressure means being mounted on the rotary element for orbital movement about the coil upon rotation of the rotary element.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein a strapping unit is mounted on the frame for movement axially of the coil between an extended strap-apply position intermediate the longitudinal ends of the coil for binding the same, and a retracted position axially displaced relative to the coil, and wherein the rotary element is rotatably supported by the strapping unit in adjacent relation thereto for movement therewith axially of the coil.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the pressure means includes an arm pivotally secured at one end to the rotary element for pivotal movement laterally of the longitudinal axis of the coil, the arm having a swinging end opposite its said one end and positioned in trailing relation thereto upon rotation of the rotary element in said coil winding direction.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the operating means includes an extendible and retractable actuating member connected between the rotary element and the arm for moving its swinging end into direct engagement with the coil, the actuating member being pivotally secured to the arm intermediate its opposite ends, and means for adjusting the length of the actuating member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,044,729 7/ 1962 Prellwitz 24278.1 3,216,346 11/1965 Cruckshank et al 100-4 3,238,864 3/1966 Patterson 1003 3,315,592 4/1967 Lems 100-3 3,320,874 5/1967 Gasper et al. 100-3 3,329,083 7/1967 Bellmann 1003 BILLY J. WILHIT E, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 24278.1; 100-26 

